File name: super-obvious.jpg

In my visual politics class this week we're studying presidential image-making. The students will examine slide shows on the White House web site to get a sense of how the president is presenting himself in this most carefully sculpted of contexts. While downloading a few images for class discussion, I came across some interesting file names.

The file name for this image of Obama boarding Air Force One?

P020509PS-0455_BoardingAF1--hero 

I really hoped this image of Obama would have the word "halo" in its file name, but alas, they chose to emphasize his affect rather than his heavenly headgear:

P020509PS-0722_Stern--reducedf

images (and maybe file names?) by Pete Souza, White House photographer

Comments

[Steve]

That's FUNNY! I have to remember to be careful what I name photos...:)

[Michelle]

Hilarious...from the technology administration no less.

[caraf]

Ha! Good point, Michelle. Pete Souza is very well-respected in the biz, from what I can tell. What I think is interesting is that he was official photographer for the Reagan White House too, the folks who pioneered the controlling visual narrative of the presidency. Barack knew what he was doing, I think, though Pete (or his staff) should probably do a bit of masking on those file names.